Pump construction



May 18, 1937. 1.. YOST ET AL PUMP CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 22, 1934INVENTOR. LLOYD V057- GEORGE W NORRIS I ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1937FATE? PUMP CONSTRUCTION Lloyd Yost, Wilmette, Ill., and George W.Norris, San Francisco, Calif, assignors to Fairbanks, Morse & 00.,Chicago, 1111., a corporation of Illinois Application November 22, 1934,Serial No. 754,200

3 Claims.

An object of the present invention is attained in the provision, in apump-column assembly, of an improved structure for centering andsupporting a pump shaft tube within the outer column, the structurebeing substantially selfcentering in a. column structure formed ofcommercially available pipe sections having the usual mill-productionvariations in dimensions.

Another object is to provide a greatly improved spider for the purposenoted, which includes a central portion or hub provided with a pluralityof radially extending arms, the free ends of the arms being providedwith resilient cushioning elements for engagement with the inner surfaceof the outer column. The cushioning elements engaging the column andcarried by the arms of the spider, are arranged to permit the spider tocenter itself within the column, and substantlally to reduce thetransmission of vibration from the shaft tube to the outer column.

A further object is to provide an improved spider for the purposedescribed, which is adapted to be assembled in a pump column without theusual securing expedients, such as screwing or clamping portions of thespider to the pump column.

Yet a further object is realized in the provision of a greatly improvedcolumn spider, which is adapted to be secured to a section of a shafttube Without the necessity of machining the tube section prior to suchassembly, this advantage and economy being made possible through theprovision of a resilient bearing element disposed between the spider andthe shaft tube.

Further objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription and from the drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of a portion of a pumpcolumn assembly, illustrating one form of spider embodying improvementsof the present invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof, asvlewed'from line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the following description, suitable characters of reference will beemployed to designate the several elements of the structures, and-corresponding elements will receive the same reference character.

Referring to the drawing, numerals ill and i l designate the endportions of adjoining pump column sections l2 and i3, the ends being, by

preference, externally threaded for engagement with an internallythreaded coupling sleeve M. Disposed within the column assembly is apump shaft tube structure l5 comprising tubular sections joined togetherin any suitable manner. As shown in Fig. l, the adjoining ends ofadjacent tubular sections it and I? are secured in assembly by threadedengagement with a threaded tubular member is disposed internally of thetube sections. The member 58 may serve, in addition, as a bearing memberfor the pump shaft section 89.

In order properly to center the shaft tube as-- sembly it within theouter column, and to provide lateral support therefor, spacing membersare, by preference, disposed at spaced'intervals along the shaft tube.Such a spacing member or spider is illustrated at 26, and it is thismember of the pump column structure which embodies the improvements ofthe present invention. The spider may be formed of any suitable materialpossessing the required strength and rigidity, such as bronzeor castiron.

As shown, the spider 29 includes a hub portion 2i adapted to surround,in sleeved relation, the shaft tube structure 05, and a plurality ofradially extending arms 22. In the presently preferred example, thespider is provided with three such arms, the number of arms being aminimum consistent with a stable structure, whereby to facilitate a,self-centering of the member in the well column. It will also beobserved from Fig. 2, that the lateral width of each arm is relativelysmall, in order to effect a skeleton structure and so reduce to aminimum obstruction of the-upward flow of water in the column. The freeend of each arm is provided with a holder portion 23, which may beformed integrally with the arm. Formed in the portion 23, is a pocket 24which is. by preference, of dovetail section, as shown. A cushionelement 25 of rubber or other resilient material, is secured in thedovetail pocket, preferably by pressing the element therein, so that aportion thereof extends radially beyond the end of the portion 23,whereby the cushion element will frictionally engage, normally under aslight compression, the inner surface of the outer column. The size andresilience of the element 25 is so proportioned, according to the sizeof the spider to which it is to be assembled, as to effect a substantialfrictional gripping action of the element upon the internal surface ofthe column. It will be clearly seen that, by reason of the spacing ofthe spider arms and the resilient elements 25, the spider issubstantially self-centering, and hence in the assembled pump structure,the shaft tube will be centered within the outer column. It will benoted, 5 also, that the resilient elements 25 effect a cushioning actionbetween the spider and the outer column, whereby the transmission ofvibrations from the shaft tube structure to the column issubstantially/reduced,, in comparison with rigid assemblies ofcorresponding parts.

As a presently preferred means for preventing the spider from moving orslipping down the column, one or more of the arms may be provided withan angulate finger or lug 26, the outer end portion 21 of which isadapted to be disposed between the adjacent ends of outer columnsections l2 and I3, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1.

The finger portion 26 rests upon the upper edge of column section l3,and the lower end of the adjacent column section I2 is, by preference.

spaced from the end of the lower column section a distance suflicient toprevent binding of the finger or fingers between the ends of the columnsections.

The spider hub 2| is, by preference, provided with a bore 28 having adiameter substantially larger than that of the shaft tube l5 extendingthrough the hub. Seated in the bore 28, is a resilient ring element orcentering member 29, formed of rubber or other suitable resilientmaterial. The centering element ispreferab'ly of such size as to requireit to be compressed into assembly in the hub bore 28. In order to insureagainst displacement of the centering element, the hub is provided witha flange shoulder on each end thereof, in overlying relation to the endsof the centering element, whereby effectively to confine the centeringelement to this hub bore. In assembling the spider to the shaft tubestructure IS, the tube section to which the spider is to be applied isinserted through the rubber centering member, which is therebycompressed about the tube to effect a firm securement thereof. Thecentering member being formed of a resilient material such as rubber,will absorb such vibrations as normally occur in the shaft tubestructure during operation of the pump assembly.

From the foregoing description of a spider embodying the improvements ofour invention, it readily may be seen that the improved spiders clearlyattain the several objects enumerated hereinabove, and that a sturdy andcompact spider structure is provided which is fully capable iii tions.As before described, the spider'arms are,

of a long life under all pump operating condiby preference, formed ofminimum thickness, consistent with the, requisite strength, in order toreduce the obstruction to the upward flow of water in the well casing.

It will be understood, of course, that the embodiment of our inventionherein described and illustrated may be altered or modified withoutdeparting from the spirit and intended scope of the invention, asdefined by the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a pump, in combination with an outer casing, a pump shaftextending within the casing, a stationary tube enclosing said shaft, andmeans for centering said shaft tube within the casing, comprising aspacing member having a hub portion about said shaft tube, and aplurality of arms extending radially therefrom, resilient elements inthe ends of said arms, adapted for frictional engagement with saidcasing, a resilient bearing member carried by said hub, for frictionalengagement with said tube, and means carried by said arms adapted forengagement with a portion of said outer casing, for positioning saidcentering means along said shaft tube.

2.,In a pump, in combination with an outer casing, a pump shaftextending within the casing, a stationary tube enclosing said shaft, atubecentering spider within the casing, including a skeleton spacingmember having a hub portion about said shaft tube and a plurality ofradial arms, rubber cushions interf'ltted to the ends of the arms andadapted for frictional engagement within the inner surface of thecasing, a resilient bearing member carried by said hub for frictionalengagement with saidtube, and means carried by said arms adapted forengagement with a portion of said outer casing for positioning saidcentering means along said tube.

3. In a pump, in combination with an outer casing, a pump shaftextending within the casing, a stationary tube enclosing said shaft, atubecentering spider within the casing, including a skeleton spacingmember having a hub portion about said shaft tube and a plurality ofradial arms, rubber cushions projecting from the ends of the arms andadapted for frictional engagement within the inner surface of thecasing, a rubber sleeve carried internally of said hub for frictionalengagement with said tube, and a lug element carried by each of saidarms, the lugs being spaced from said cushions, and adapted forengagement with a portion of said outer casing for positioning saidcentering means along said tube.

LLOYD YOST. GEORGE W. NORRIS.

